How do you guys MANAGE PO4

[Dilan Patel]

Hey guys I am wondering how everybody manages PO4 in the tanks at their desired levels. I know some people like to run PO4 at .03 while others like to maintain it at .25ppm. I am looking to see how people maintain the levels just like someone would do alk or calc. Do you daily dose something like lanthanum chloride if so what concentration/dilution. DO you do water changes? How about running a GFO reactor but maybe not 24/7. Im hoping to keep my po4 around .1-.15 and I think I am goin g to do a lanthanum chloride drip or something like that which can be dripped into the sump in a diluted factor to keep me from messing with the po4 drastically. Any thoughts? Or would I be better off running an extremely small amount of GFO to keep phosphates controlled as well as wet skimming. I have a 180gallon tank and I was thinking 1/2 cup of GFO with basically nio tumbling action.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

The vast majority of reefers (sps anyways) try to keep phos below 0.10. Yes, there are some tanks that have super high phos and they look great, but to me, they are OUTLIERS. In general, below 0.10 is best. Typically hacing some GFO running will keep your phos in check. I would use LC to SLOWLY lower your phos to around 0.05 and then let GFO keep it there.

Cheers

 

[Dilan Patel]

For me I used the LC to lower into the .16 range and was planning on running the 1/2 cup of GFO just to give me a buffere to make sure I don't bottom out my PO4 as I am going to school and am trying to have the tank be stable in the phosphate range. Honestly I just don't have the time to drop the tank to .05 with LC either since I have been dropping my PO4 from .6ppm

 

[ZoWhat]

PLUS CHANGE OUT EVERY 3 DAYs

 

[rodney]

Vinegar mixed with Kalkwasser and my skimmer.

 

[little_sardines]

My Phosphate usually hangs out between .03 and .14 - I've noticed a correlation when my nitrates go up my phosphate tends to go down. While I can't say I've ever achieved the redfield ratio I think there's definitely a balance to be maintained between the two. For me - I actually have to dose nitrate (i have trouble keeping it above 0, usually with dosing it's between 2 and 5) and that seems to keep my phosphate within levels reasonable for my tank.

 

[rodney]

I have ran out of nitrate in the water and had to back off of my dosing I increased feeding to get it back up there but I dialed got it filed in.

 

[ZoWhat]

PO4 usually comes from fish food. Check whatever you're feeding your tank for any Phosphorous additives by doing a Google search.

If you make your own fish food from a deli counter, the seafood processing plant sprays phosphorus chemicals to retain freshness and moisture

Also check your source water for WCs.... public water has PO4 in it and may be a sign the membrane to your RO might need replacing

 

[Darth.Daddy12]

Hey guys I am wondering how everybody manages PO4 in the tanks at their desired levels. I know some people like to run PO4 at .03 while others like to maintain it at .25ppm. I am looking to see how people maintain the levels just like someone would do alk or calc. Do you daily dose something like lanthanum chloride if so what concentration/dilution. DO you do water changes? How about running a GFO reactor but maybe not 24/7. Im hoping to keep my po4 around .1-.15 and I think I am goin g to do a lanthanum chloride drip or something like that which can be dripped into the sump in a diluted factor to keep me from messing with the po4 drastically. Any thoughts? Or would I be better off running an extremely small amount of GFO to keep phosphates controlled as well as wet skimming. I have a 180gallon tank and I was thinking 1/2 cup of GFO with basically nio tumbling action.

I like to use chemipure blue combined with a good fuge. Adjusting fuge lighting up to 18hoirs but never exceeding that level. If tank isn’t low enough with that then I cut feeding in half and evaluate what food I’m feeding. For example cheap flake foods are know po4 adders as they use it as ingredient to preserve the food. I like to stick to frozen foods and even then I’ll test the rodi water I use to devolve it for po4 before making it a regular staple food. That can be solved by using a net to remove water from the food honestly but on smaller banks I like to use this as part of my daily top off water if possible.

If non of that is working which some times it still creeps up I’ll add some phosgaurd other gfo to the mix.

Imop a good fuge can normally control everything and I think the reason why it can’t for some is cause I don’t believe the reduced flow theory is valid. I like to run about the same fuge turnover as my filtration rates and have not had major issues doing it this way with smaller then normal fuge designs. I think a lot has to do with pod populations in the fuge as the algea acts like a spong filter and pods are needed to breakdown nutrients prior to them being in the water for the macro algae to consume. It’s eoesive but I dose my pods monthly. Half into my tank and half to my fuge even with a high population. I have a lot of freshwater experience and as such I really appreciate the things like macro and pods that just are not achievable in those tanks and further understand how beneficial they can be.

Last thing is I always do a weekly water change.. normally not even 10% tbh but I do change water regularly. Most times is likely only 5% at best but it gets done. I find a 30min change weekly is much easier to maintain then larger ones bi weekly or monthly. Even if everything tests perfect I still change some water. Just too much investment not to take a few minute when having that first cup of coffee on a Saturday morning before family is up to do something productive for the tanks.

It’s easier to have a routine then to perform even the smallest chore..

 

[Dilan Patel]

So very diverse way people maintain their levels. For Nitrate I have to feed extremely heavy...about 6 times a day of pellet food and sometimes frozen food plus nori to keep my nitrates detectable. With that being said I use NLS pellets as well as Hikari algae pellets. I can't run a fuge as that would make my nitrates 0...but the bigger issue is my fuge has turned into a frag tank lol and currently is completely filled with about 50 frags or so lol. As for frozen food I use Reef franzy which is one of my favorite foods to feed! I think I may go with the reduxced use of GFO and see how that works. WIll the 1/2cup of GFO tank my PO4 or will it gradually go down. Im hoping I left enough po4 in the water to have the GFO suck up most but not ALL of it and will allow it to somewhat stabilize with an addition of LC to keep it in check.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I dose LaCl throughout the day using a BRS 1.1 mL/min dosing pump controlled via apex. I am able to completely dial in my dosing to maintain exactly the level I want. With GFO I was unable to target a specific value, and levels would rise and fall dramatically between media changes (new media vs old exhausted vs new again).

I dilute 500 mL Phosphat-E with 4.5 L RODI to make a 5 L of a 10x diluted additive for my dosing.

 

[EmdeReef]

My tank is overstocked and I overfeed, so GfO is almost not an option anymore. I use LC, recently got a bottle of the Two Little Fishies lanthanum but seaklar works too. With the TLF I dose 50ml in a gallon bottle and then dose with a brs doser and a timer on and off 3-4hrs a day. That gets my phosphates down to about 0.1 from as high as 0.5. It’s all trial and error with LC and testing is very important. Also make sure to track your alk.

 

[King Turkey]

I just water change 20 percent water once a week. if I skip a week I might vodka dose and use some liquid phosphate remover. mine usually stay .05 and I feed a lot. you test salt water once its mixed?

 

[Dilan Patel]

nah i dont do water changes lol.